Synopses & Reviews
Synopsis
This is the first book to provide a detailed treatment of the field of larval ecology. The 13 chapters use state-of-the-art reviews and critiques of nearly all of the major topics in this diverse and rapidly growing field. Topics include:
patterns of larval diversity
reproductive energetics
spawning ecology
life history theory
larval feeding and nutrition
larval mortality
behavior and locomotion
larval transport
dispersal
population genetics
recruitment dynamics
larval evolution
Written by the leading new scientists in the field, chapters define the current state of larval ecology and outline the important questions for future research.Synopsis
This book is a first attempt to provide a broad synthetic review of the field, and it is told from the perspective of these first generation larval specialists. It is not intended to be a statement of how we perceive the world to work, but rather what we see as the important features of marine larvae and life cycles that need explanation. The various chapters of this volume provide a range of perspectives on larval ecology, but share a sense of enthusiasm for the rich potential that the field holds for generating important new insights into the ecology of life in the oceans.
Table of Contents
Pattern and diversity in reproduction and development /Lisa A. Levin and Todd S. Bridges --Variation in the size, energy content, and biochemical composition of invertebrate eggs : correlates to the mode of larval development /William B. Jaeckle --Evolutionary ecology of larval types /Jon N. Havenhand --Ecology of fertilization in free-spawning invertebrates /Don R. Levitan --Timing of larval release /Steven G. Morgan --Mechanisms and rates of suspension feeding /Michael W. Hart and Richard R. Strathmann --Larval nutrition /Isabelle F. Boidron-Meâtairon --Behavior and locomotion during the dispersal phase of larval life /Craig M. Young --Life and death in the plankton : larval mortality and adaptation / Steven G. Morgan --Mechanisms of cross-shelf dispersal of larval invertebrates and fish /Alan L. Shanks --Using genetics as an indirect estimator of larval dispersal /Stephen R. Palumbi --Modeling the dynamics of marine species : the importance of incorporating larval dispersal /Steven D. Gaines and Kevin D. Lafferty --Evolution of larvae and developmental modes /Gregory A. Wray.